Australian Open 2021: Denis Shapovalov vs Felix Auger-Aliassime preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (11) Denis Shapovalov vs (20) Felix Auger-Aliassime
Date: 12 February 2021
Tournament: Australian Open 2021
Round: Third round (Round of 32)
Venue: Melbourne, Australia
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: AUD $80 million
Live telecast: USA - ESPN / Tennis Channel | India - Sony Six / Sony Ten 2
Denis Shapovalov vs Felix Auger-Aliassime preview
In an all-Canadian affair, World No. 11 Denis Shapovalaov takes on 20th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in the third round of the Australian Open on Friday.
Despite losing all his matches at the ATP Cup in Melbourne, Shapovalov got his Australian Open off to a flyer. He defeated rising talent Jannik Sinner in a five-set blockbuster in the very first round.
The match against Sinner - which lasted nearly four hours - would have undoubtedly given the Canadian plenty of confidence. He used his momentum to ease past local favorite Bernard Tomic and set up a third-round encounter against his compatriot.
Felix Auger-Aliassime has been knocking on the door of the ATP's top 10 for the past couple of years. He is widely touted as one of the best young players on tour at the moment, and he got his 2021 season off to a solid start by reaching the final of the Murray River Open in Melbourne.
But Auger-Aliassime failed to seal his maiden title as he lost a record-breaking seventh tour final, going down in straight sets to Dan Evans.
That said, the 20-year-old seems to have gotten over the disappointment of the last week pretty quickly. He has had a terrific start to the Australian Open, cruising past Cedrik-Marel Stebe and James Duckworth in the early rounds without dropping a single set.
Denis Shapovalov vs Felix Auger-Aliassime head-to-head
The third round encounter at the Australian Open is the fourth meeting between the two players. Denis Shapovalov currently leads the head-to-head 2-1 over Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Shapovalov picked up both his victories over his compatriot at the US Open, in the 2018 and 2019 editions respectively. Auger-Aliassime meanwhile got his sole win over his counterpart on clay - in the first round of the Madrid Masters in 2019.
Denis Shapovalov vs Felix Auger-Aliassime prediction
While the two Canadians know each other's game inside-out, Denis Shapovalov comes into the match against Felix Auger-Aliassime as the slight favorite. Shapovalov has more experience of playing on the big stage, and his best-of-five record against the 20-year-old is a flawless 2-0.
Although Shapovalov's tennis was not at its highest level in the early stages of the match against Sinner, the Canadian showed a lot of grit to outlast his talented opponent. Auger-Aliassime, on the other hand, failed yet another pressure test last week, losing his seventh consecutive final on tour.
The younger Canadian will need to be switched on and at his best for a long period of time to outlast Shapovalov.
Shapovalov's hard-hitting game has seen a lot of success on hardcourts, and his lefty serve can cause all sorts of problems on the quick courts of Melbourne. But Auger-Aliassime has plenty of weapons in his armory to match Shapovalov; his well-rounded baseline game and attacking style of play are enough to nullify most of his opponent's strengths.
Auger-Aliassime's return game has also been impeccable in the early rounds, and he can more than hold his own on his serve.
This tight early-round contest could come down to execution on the day, composure under pressure and physical fitness. And the youngster might just have a slight edge when it comes to that last part.
Prediction: Felix Auger-Aliassime to win in five sets.